Will 2009 Be Omar Minaya’s Waterloo?

The Los Angeles Dodgers made themselves right at home last night; lounging out at the Ebbet’s Club, sharing stories of their glory days at the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, and then taking the field and bitch-slapping the Mets. The only thing missing were the Dodger Dogs, but they made do with a Nathan’s hot dog instead.

Manny was being Manny, but more importantly Manuel was being Manuel, and Omar was being Omar. The Wilpons did a great job of house training their two employees as both were well versed in what to say to the media before and after the game regarding the future (or lack of it) of the Mets for the rest of this season.

Minaya addressed the media and once again he sugar-coated the latest setbacks to Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.

Reyes was given a cortisone shot to reduce the pain in his hamstring. Omar told reporters that it was no big deal and not really a setback, He refused to give a timetable for his return, but I’ll give you one… He can’t run, his hamstring still hurts, and you wont see him until August.

Carlos Beltran said his knee still hurts when he walks. He is going to be re-examined for a third time today and he is still out indefinitely. Since Beltran last played on June 21, the Mets have gone 5-10 with a .229 average, and they have scored one run or fewer seven times, including four shutouts.

And even with all this uncertainty surrounding the return of two of their core players, Minaya warns us not to expect anything in the way of help because “there are no shortstops better than Reyes available, and no centerfielders better than Beltran available”. His words, not mine.

First of all, who said anything about replacing them? All I’m saying is why can’t we try and field a competitive team until they come back? If they come back?

Nobody, much less me, is expecting the Mets to go out and get Hanley Ramirez or Shane Victorino, but if we could upgrade in leftfield and first base and get some more offense generated, what’s the harm in that?

We haven’t even hit the dog days of summer, and yet the Mets look tired and they look beat. David Wright, the face of the franchise admitted yesterday that they are all fatigued and worn out, and they just had a day off on Monday. He also admitted that the team stinks.

Jerry Manuel said that the team is just going through a slump, but in the same breath he called his team lethargic. Lethargic?

Le-thar-gic (Adj.) – deficient in alertness or activity; not active physically or mentally;

Maybe the fans should become lethargic too. Maybe we should stay home rather than exerting ourselves by going to the games and forking over our hard earned money to help fill the Wilpon’s pockets.

Why should we continue to pay for a product that has become the brunt of all jokes on ESPN and even the team’s own network, SNY?

We can support the team equally from our homes as we could at CitiField, and the best part is that at home we have the commercials to ease us from the pain of watching the game. How bad is it when the commercials become more entertaining than the game?

Seriously though, can it get any worse?

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is yes. As long as the Mets remain committed to waiting for Beltran and Reyes and the others to return, the lethargic play will continue and it may even worsen and spiral to despondent.

Omar says that one trade or one bat wouldn’t help, but only a fool would believe that.

Adam Dunn would definitely help, and that’s why Ron Darling and Gary Cohen spent five minutes explaining the different ways it would help during last night’s broadcast. Alex Rios would help too. The Mets have plenty of lifesavers in the sea, but they choose to keep threading water and drift farther away instead.

Can’t they see how the stress is devastating and completely breaking down their most prized asset, David Wright?

How can they just stand there and watch him disintegrate from day to day, and not offer him some help in the form of another big bat?

The most optimistic player in the Mets clubhouse has finally lost his innocence and once you lose that, it never comes back.

I’m sorry Omar, but don’t you dare insult my intelligence and refer to this as just a slump. This is your defining moment and you choose to shrink in the face of adversity. And though we the fans are paying the price for that now, you will ultimately pay the price on the day we replace you. Unless you do something drastic now, the 2009 season will be your undoing and your downfall.

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73, '00 and '15, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction and interact with other passionate Met fans like you. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.

NL East Standings

Team

W

L

Pct.

GB

Nationals

35

20

.636

-

Braves

24

30

.444

10.5

Mets

24

31

.436

11.0

Marlins

24

31

.436

11.0

Phillies

19

35

.352

15.5

Last updated: 06/04/2017

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